Workshops, & Speaking Engagements

Event Planners say:

“Katie is very motivational and deeply knowledgeable about the topic at hand. Katie’s two webinars were some of SWE’s most popular webinars to date.” Randi Rosenbluth, Society of Women Engineers.

“Katie is a dynamic speaker and engaged the room immediately. …. We were thrilled to have Katie speak to our group again, and hope to have her back in the future.” Kourtney Mierzejewski, Women in Construction.

Attendees say:

“Katie Donovan was the best! She was active, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable.”

“I was so WOWed by your seminar at HBS this weekend. Hands down the most useful/interactive one of the day – and your competition was very impressive.“

Speaking Engagements and Workshops Experience Includes:

Katie has spoken at 100s of venues.

1) Colleges and Universities including Harvard, University of North Carolina, and University of California Los Angeles,

2) Professional Associations including CFA Society of LA, Society of Women Engineers, Women Investing for Sustainable Economy, and American Academy of Neurology, and

Popular Speaking Topics

KEYNOTE SPEECH: Love Your Job? Great, Then Leave It!

Working while being a woman is tough. The gender pay gap, sexual harassment, sexist dress codes, not being heard, and lack of advancement opportunity are just a few of the challenges we women face on a regular basis. Often we wait until the last straw at one employer before searching for the next job. But what if we left when we still love our job and still are improving our skills? The empowerment of not being loyal to the company but loyal to your family and yourself breaks the chains and jumps you to the next level in your career. Become motivated and empowered for more with this keynote.

KEYNOTE SPEECH: Becoming a Trendsetter

Katie is the trailblazer who started the widely-praised movement to ban salary history in hiring. Massachusetts was the first to file in January 2015 and signed into law in August 2016. Within a few months of it becoming law more than 20 other states, municipalities, and territories filed similar bills. Currently, 13 states and 12 local jurisdictions have bans or restrictions through law or executive order. Come hear how a complete rookie at work and women equity introduced a novel solution, got it passed into law, and began a widely accepted trend while dealing with a dying mother, a condo association debacle as treasurer, and starting her own consulting firm Equal Pay Negotiations at the same time. Learn the lessons Katie learned and get empowered to keep going when you know you are on to something, yet are continuously hitting walls.

FOR EMPLOYEES: Knowing and Getting the Job’s Value

Many teach “know your value.” Katie touts “knowing the job’s value” because it is the more successful approach to pay equity and no longer being underpaid. Key to successful negotiation is making it as objective as possible by knowing the job’s value. It’s a successful approach that had one client triple her income in two years. Even it you do not triple your income, negotiating will help you earn $1 million more in your career while eliminating your personal gender pay gap. You will learn the expectations, preparation, and ultimately the language of pay and benefits negotiation. The session will include:

Research the market value of the job

When the negotiation truly started

Words to continue the negotiation

Phrases to overcome management’s objections

How to end the negotiation on a good note

FOR EMPLOYERS: Assuming a Perfect World of Equality is Preventing Your From Achieving It

Most employers are working towards an equal and diverse workforce but despite best efforts, many continue to struggle. Unfortunately, even when your organization is the most equitable, the world outside it not. Your employees have experienced inequity elsewhere and the impact of it continues at your organization without adjusting processes to acknowledge it. Another challenge is the reality that every employer has some people who make conscious or unconscious biased decisions. Trying to change people has not garnered the desired outcome. Implementing checks and balances to minimize and eliminate their impact will get you to your desired outcome while eliminating liability. Many steps in the hiring, promotions, and compensation processes are fraught with opportunity for bias (conscious and unconscious).

Bonus structures

Desired compensation questions

Employee referral programs

Come learn how to move the needle pay and leadership equity with the pay equity expert who introduced the widely acclaimed elimination of salary history from the hiring process.

FOR BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS: Both Sides of Negotiating Equal Pay

Sometimes you are the employee negotiating a new job, raise, or end of year bonus. Other times, you are the manager negotiating those same things on behalf of your employer. Regardless of your role, your actions impact the equality of the ultimate compensation decision. Both Sides of Negotiating Equal Pay teaches you how some of the best practices in hiring, promotion, and review processes prevent achieving pay equity, ironically by assuming equality already exists. More importantly this workshop will share what you can do in both roles to close gender and other pay gaps.

By the end of this session you will

Know how to minimize unconscious bias in your negotiations as a manager,

Know how market research data creates a false sense of objectivity,

Know how to keep the negotiations conversational yet empowering as a candidate or employee, and

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2 comments on “Workshops, & Speaking Engagements”

What a valuable resource in our work with women seeking to advance professionally to become financially prosperous and in reaching their full potential. i am delighted to learn more from your insightful and practical articles. Thank you. Elizabeth Petry-Lee WomenVenture